After state aid concerns, Port Byron school district to have a tight budget

The Port Byron Central School District will have a tight 2018-2019 budget after state aid issues.

At a district board of education meeting Thursday night, the board approved the 2018-2019 budget to be brought forth to taxpayers for the budget vote May 15. Mitch Toleson, the district's assistant superintendent for business and finance, said during a budget presentation before the vote that "this is probably one of the tightest budgets we've had in quite a few years."

The district's total budget is set to be $21,273,209, the same as last year. The board approved a 1.20-percent tax levy increase. The district tax cap established by the state is 5.84 percent. Toleson said the board has raised the levy 1.2 percent for years, since it was found the community struggled to pay high tax levies.

"We have decided we're only doing 1.2 (percent) because you've decided as a board many years ago that our taxpayers can't pay the burden," Toleson said.